Going Gentle Into The Night
by Bear3126
Summary: As one chapter in Kim's and Ron's life ends another one begins. Kim is freaked out, Ron is the calm rational one, and there is a strange man in the shadows.


A/N WARNING - This story contains the authors personal beliefs of life, death, and what lies beyond...If these views and beliefs do not coincide with your own...DO NOT flame me for it...just accept it...This is all I have to say on the matter.I have contracted a massive case of writers block concerning my other two stories...Hopefully this piece will help break that so I can continue with them..With that said...I was inspired to write this story after hearing the song "Walking on the water" by Credence Clearwater Revival...this is the result...Kind of an odd view on a death fic...Let me know what yall think

~Insert standard disclaimer here~ I only own the story idea and plot but that is for sale of some one wants to make an offer ^_^

* * *

Kim let out a groan as her backpack dropped heavily to the floor. "One more test and I think my head is going to explode" she wailed as she flopped onto her bed.

"Hey! That's my line and whats more you are the one who insisted on a full schedule this semester. You don't have any time to breathe" Ron entered his room and began shucking off his school clothes. He hated uniforms. No, hate was the wrong word. He loathed uniforms and the fact that he was forced to wear one for his culinary classes made it all the worse. "Why do they always have to make these things out of polyester?"

"Because its cheap and it cleans up easily when your recepies don't work like that are supposed to." Kim quipped wearily from her bedroom. After a full days of tests and pop quizzes all she wanted to do was sleep.

"Good point. I'm going for a walk, you want me to being you back something from Bueno Nacho while I'm out?"

Despite her exhaustion, Kim couldn't help but laugh. One of these days he was going to turn into a naco. "Sure, you know what I like."

"Salad and a diet soda?" Good ol Kim, a creature of habit if nothing else.

"You got it. Just wake me up when you get back." With that her eyelids slid closed over emerald green orbs as she let herself succumb to the lures of unconsciousness.

Ron donned his usual attire consisting of loose cargo pants and his trademark red and black jersey. After pulling on his shoes, he went to Kim's room only to find her fast asleep laying diagonally on the bed. Shaking his head at his best friend, he pulled her shoes off and covered her prone form with a comforter. "You need to learn to slow down one of these days KP" he whispered as he placed a soft kiss on her cheek. If she knew what he had just done, his life would become very uncomfortable. With a smile he turned and walked out the front door into the cool night air.

* * *

Soft light from the sun slowly released its grip on the quiet streets of the Middleton as darkness laid claim to the sky. Fall was coming to an end. The nights were turning steadily colder in the foothills of the already snow capped mountains. Early evening was beginning to settle on the sleepy little town, urging the residents to return to their warm homes.

The screeching of rubber on asphalt ripped through the quiet of the secluded neighborhood. Rending metal and the explosive sound of masonry crumbling further shattered the peace on the street. The brief female scream went unanswered as sparks gave birth to fire.

A dark figure watched the proceedings with an air of satisfaction. The cutting of her thread could not have come soon enough in his mind. A grin crossed his face as the time began to slow before stopping completely. The world around him stood still and his grin grew wider, it was time. None could prevent this now. He would come back for the woman once his business with the other was concluded. Turning from the scene he began to move off to find the object of his desire. "The whelp has evaded me for the last time." A smirk of satisfaction marked his features as he disappeared from sight, haunting laughter fading in his wake.

* * *

Ron Stoppable sat back on the bench breathing in the cool night air. Worries and concerns slipped from his mind as he let his body relax against the hard wood strips. A slight smile crept across his face as he listed to the quiet lapping of the water against the rocks. This was his place, his time right now. Nothing could intrude on his peace as he took in the beauty that was sunset across the river. He sat motionless watching the sun slowly dip behind the trees on the other side, marveling at the spectacle as the sky became alive with color.

As he sat there he reflected on the year that would be drawing to a close next month. It had been a very strange year even by his standards. Graduating high school, going to college, living with Kim, retiring from hero work...the list seemed endless. Who knew that so many life altering events could be packed into such a short time span. Random thoughts came and went as he watched the proceedings before him.

The small river side park had quickly become his place to collect his thoughts at the end of the day. For as stressful as high school had been for him, college was on a different level entirely. Tests..lectures..midterms, all seemed designed to drive the students crazy, at least in his opinion. Slacking off and procrastinating was not an option now as Kim was so keen to remind him. He quickly found himself needing a place to go and relax to get away from the rigors of college life. One evening, while making his daily trek to Bueno Nacho, he had stumbled upon the little park and had been coming back ever since.

His reverie was interrupted by a high pitched scream that sent an involuntary shiver down his spine. The sound reverberated across the waters dying out as they retreated in the distance. He sat up quickly as the sound died off, looking around for the source of the disturbance. The gentle waters of the river began to slow until they stopped moving completely. The soft breeze that had been blowing a moment was now absent. The resulting silence was suffocating. He stood up and moved towards the rivers edge as the surface of the dead calm water began to boil and roll. His mouth twisted into a scowl which deepened with each passing moment as he waited for the being that had disturbed his peaceful moment to appear.

Slowly a dark figure began to rise from the middle of the disturbance. The hooded head of the grim specter of death broke the surface first. Despite the cowl, the specters face was visible in the late evening light. Black eyes stared out from wooden features, unblinking as the figure continued to rise from the roiling waters. The rest of the body was completely covered by a dark gray robe. Tattered strips of cloth fluttered slowly in a non-existent breeze. Waters calmed as the bottom of the robe crested the surface and the personification of death began to glide slowly towards the shore.

"Azrael" Ron muttered bitterly as he stood waiting at the waters edge. Few things in this world got under his skin enough to make him ponder hating someone. Azrael was not of this world however, or any world for that matter, nor was he a person. Ron had to remind himself that the Reaper was only doing the job assigned to him but that fact did little to quell the anger he felt towards the deity. Silently he thanked Jim and Tim for building that rocket and needing Rufus to test pilot it. He didn't want to put his little buddy through an encounter with the angel.

"That would be so cool if I didn't know who you were" Ron stated flatly as the imposing figure approached.

"Hello to you as well Ronald" the Reaper replied ignoring Ron's tone. "It has been some time since I was last called to grace you with my presence. If I didn't know any better I would think that you did not wish to see me again."

Ron couldn't help but smirk at Azrael's words. As if any one with even a shred of common sense would welcome a visit from someone like him. "Don't fool yourself Azrael, I would be perfectly happy if I never had to see you again."

"Fortunately for me you do not get to make those kinds of decisions" Azrael replied with a short laugh.

"Whats with the 'rising from the depths' entrance? Seems just a little bit too theatrical for the likes of you."

Azrael grinned as he appraised the young man before him. Ronald had changed much since their last encounter. Gone was the fear and hesitation that had marked the young man in the past. Apparently maturity had finally laid claim to him. [I wonder if the redhead was finally able to get through to him. Its a pity that it took him so long to come around.] "Few mortals I come across would have appreciation for an entrance such as that. You however have already witnessed my standard {modus operandi} multiple times, I decided to have a bit of fun this go round. Speaking of which..." Azrael's face became the cold mask of stone that the legends concerning him were written from, "It is time, your soul is mine at last"

"We have been through this before, on more then one occasion actually." Pausing, Ron eyed the deity curiously. "You know why I can't come with you, we had an agreement." What events had conspired to bring Azrael back to him?

Azrael's dark eyes showed no emotion as he gazed upon the young man before him. He knew the agreement well, but the rules had changed. "You know I do not come here out of choice. I have honored our agreement thus far. But the winds have changed and our agreement with them." Death walked forward slowly, robes the color of wet ashes billowing around his hidden form despite the lack of wind. "Your path has had it's twists and turns, bringing you to my feet then taking you away. Now your road has ended depositing you here before me." He grinned enjoying this moment. His victory over the one who defied him.

"Why do you always have to be so cryptic Azrael?" Ron tried to laugh at his own joke but the sound died in his throat as the air chilled around him. The hairs on his arms and neck were standing on end as the Reaper strode closer. No words were exchanged. Azrael simply came to a stop before him and stood motionless, his black eyes boring into the soft brown ones before him. The reapers message was received loud and clear none the less. Realization crept into his brain and took hold with frigid fingers. "No...No...It's not possible. She can't be..." he whispered breathlessly.

He could not bring himself to finish the statement. After every thing that they had been through together, she couldn't be gone. Not now! Not when their life together was just getting started! He backed away from the deity shaking his head. "NO! This is a trick Azrael. I refuse to believe it! She's not gone" he cried in open defiance of the notion. He turned on his heel to flee the grim specter of death only to stop short before taking another step.

Azrael was standing not three feet in front of him, motionless and unflinching. "Deny and refuse all you want, the fact remains that our contract has come to an end and it is time for me to collect. She is dead and there is nothing you can do to reverse that or I would not be here before you." The apparitions voice was calm yet commanding as it filled the small river-side park before spilling across the waters. "None of this earth can evade me Ronald. None can escape me when their bell sounds." He began to move slowly around the perturbed young man. "Truth be told, your thread was severed long ago, just as it has been severed many times since. Your soul was mine for the taking five years ago, yet for reasons unknown even to me you renounced your soul stating that it already belongs to someone else."

Ron steeled his resolve as Death came around to face him again. "Take me to her" he demanded, his voice betraying the inherent fear he felt in the Reapers presence. "I know she is freaking out right now." He stared hard into Azrael's eyes. "She needs me to be with her."

Azrael chuckled dryly. He stopped moving as he looked across the river remarking to himself how much it looked like the river in his domain. "All in good time Ronald. I will take you to her when we have finished our business here. Time passes differently on this plane or have you forgotten that?" Slowly his head turned from the river until his black eyes focused on his elusive charge. "A century could pass by in this place in the time it would take you to snap your fingers in the mortal realm. Time is mine to control here."

Ron had forgotten that fact. Normal rules did not apply here. "Fair enough" he replied cautiously. Just what other business did Azrael have in mind? This was a fairly straight forward operation. Someone dies and he comes to collect their soul and send them to where ever it is that belong, end of story. "What kind of business did you have in mind? I don't know what else I can give you. According you, my soul is as good as yours so what else is there?" He was starting to become agitated with the angel. Why did he always have to drag things out like this. Eternity or not, he wanted to be with Kim.

"Rarely have I ever NOT known something about one of my charges, yet you continue to perplex me at every turn. Now that our chase has come to an end, there is no reason not to answer. I have filled this position for centuries upon centuries. Taken the souls of mortals, from emperors and peasants alike. In all that time, you Ronald," Death looked pointedly at the young man before him "you are the first and only charge that has ever evaded me for any length of time. I want to know why. Why would you be willing renounce your own soul for the sake of someone else, without second thought or concern for what the consequences might be? I implore you, satisfy my curiosity."

Ron smiled in spite of himself at Azrael's statement. How many people can say that they had the grim reaper himself practically begging them for something. All this time and still he did not understand why things were the way they were. With difficulty he found his voice. "I have told you this before. My soul has belonged to Kim for over half my life, it became hers when I made a promise to her father. I vowed to protect Kim at all costs, no matter the circumstances. My life became hers from that day."

He got a perverse pleasure from watching the angel of death grimace at his words. [Score one point for the Ronman] he cheered in his mind. Current circumstances aside, he enjoyed rubbing the fact that he was untouchable in Azrael's face each time their paths crossed. "I love Kim unconditionally, I would die for her. Actually, now that I think about it, that is exactly why I have been such a lousy customer of yours" He added with a grin.

Azrael glared at the blonde young man, annoyance flashing in his dark eyes. Ronald defied the normal logic of the universe. How could one so young cause so many problems for him? It did not make sense. He knew the reasons why he had not been able to claim the young mans soul in the past, but why did the creator see fit to bind this young whelps soul to another being? Not just any being either, one just as young and frail as himself. It set the Reapers teeth on edge when he thought about it. Many time he had entertained the notion that the creator was growing soft after so many centuries of dealing with mortals. He could not fault his master though, comprehension was not a prerequisite of cooperation for Azrael. He did what he was told and that was the end of it. That did little to settle the frustration this boy caused for him though.

Amusement danced in Ron's eyes as he studied Azrael. He could sense the conflict in the Reaper. The feeling he gleaned from it disturbed him and almost made him laugh at the same time. Frustrating the powerful entity was not something he wished to do though the matter was out of his hands. He had not been the one to connect his and Kim's souls together, that was the creators doing. He couldn't help but smile knowing that for all the problems he caused Azrael in the past, the angel had no choice but to bite his tongue and do as he was told.

"Now that I have answered your question Azrael, what other business do we have to take care of before you take me to Kim" As much as he enjoyed watching the internal battle the Reaper was fighting he wanted to be with Kim.

"The creator wishes that you and Kimberly be given a choice as to where you go from here. You may stay as detached spirits..." He paused seeing Ron's bemused expression and chose to reword his offer. "You may stay here as ghosts or come with me to the immortal realm. The choice is yours to make individually though you will undoubtedly wish to talk to Kimberly before making your final decision."

"You know me too well Azrael" Ron replied with a short laugh. [And that's a good things why?] Ron thought for a moment before deciding to speak. "Do you give everyone this choice?" He was not aware that he would get a choice in the matter. The way preachers and rabbis talked made it seem that the higher powers had determined a souls path ahead of time, and that their plan did not allow for deviance from that path.

"Once again you fall into a unique category" Azrael replied dryly. How could one such as him be so troublesome? "Rather then have to repeat what I am about to say when we speak with Kimberly, I will tell you both the reasons at the same time." With that said, Azrael turned and headed in the direction of the university that Ron and Kim attended. "It is time to go and collect Kimberly's soul so I can get both of you out of my hair" Azrael called over his shoulder, he wanted this over and done with.

Ron hastened to follow the apparition, quickly moving up beside him. "I am assuming that you know that it is several miles from here to the house. Can't you do some kind of mumbo jumbo and just transport us there?" Now that they were finally on their way, he was anxious to get there as soon as possible. Plus he did not fancy having to walk there with only the Reaper as company.

Azrael stopped and silently cursed himself for not thinking to do just that. It wasn't often that his duties involved going to more then one place in this realm. "As you wish Ronald" he replied, not bothering to turn around.

The Reapers head bent forward slightly and he stood still for a moment, even the edges of his robes that had been fluttering constantly stopped moving. Prickly sensations covered Ron's skin as if his entire body was asleep. The world around him suddenly began to twist, pulling inward toward Azrael. Ron closed his eyes as the sensations grew steadily stronger until he was hit with what felt like a shock wave. A feeling of being wrenched overtook him for a brief moment as he felt the earth fall away below him. It dissipated as quickly as it had began and Ron felt the ground reappear beneath his feet again.

Brown eyes cracked open slightly and scanned the surroundings. Ron wasn't sure if he really wanted to see what had happened. Nothing could have prepared him for what he was seeing. He had to force himself not to turn away as he surveyed the scene. It looked like something out of an action movie, complete with air-borne debris and sparks.

"Wait here Ronald, I will retrieve Kimberly." Azrael moved forward, slowly drifting through various pieces of debris.

Ron could only nod in response. Words were lost to him as he looked at what had been Kim's and his home for the past year. He lost sight of Azrael as he went through a wall and into the house. The collecting of Kim's soul was not something Ron wished to witness. A few moments later the Reaper emerged with her lying motionless in his arms. Ron's heart lept into his throat at the sight. He could not help but feel that he had lost Kim forever even through he knew that he had not. As Azrael approached where Ron waited, he gently placed Kim on the ground and moved back. His head bent forward and a sound like that of breaking ice quietly filled the still night air.

Slowly Kim became more animated as her spirit was brought fully into the plane where Ron and Azrael waited. Rolling onto her side, she began to tremble slightly.

Ron rushed forward and knelt down pulling her lithe form into his lap. His arms wrapped around her shoulders instinctively and he held her tightly whispering in her ear. "Its all right KP, Just relax and take a deep breath. It will pass soon"

Azrael watched impassively over his charges. Her reaction to crossing from the mortal plane to this one was not uncommon and to be expected. It would pass shortly. Most of his charges took several minutes to become lucid again.

"What happened?" Kim groaned as she tried to sit up, pulling herself from Ron's comforting embrace. She quickly grabbed her head with both hands as her vision began to swim and twist. "Did anyone get the number of that truck" she joked trying to make light of the situation by taking a page from Ron's book. Waves of nausea washed over her and she collapsed back into Ron's waiting arms shutting her eyes tight against her distorted vision.

Ron stiffened slightly at her words as he glanced again at the house he and Kim had been sharing since they started college. A large eighteen wheeler was buried in the side of the house right where Kim's bedroom was, or had been he corrected himself. The fact that the house was still standing was a testament to the engineers and builders that had worked on it. The fuel tank had ruptured when the semi plowed through the low rock wall that surrounded the domicile. Apparently the diesel fuel had just ignited when Azrael performed his time freezing trick. "I don't know Kim" he replied quickly hoping that she had not felt him tense up. It wasn't really a lie. He really did not know exactly what had caused the accident. It was probably best to give Kim a chance to collect herself before giving her enough information to freak out with.

Azrael caught the meaning in Ron's words and begrudgingly prepared to assist the whelp in his plight. Although he was the very personification of death itself, that did not mean that he lacked a certain sense of compassion. Gradually he let the darkness of the approaching night claim the damaged house and the surrounding environment until only the faint light from the budding fire under the semi was visible. He detested dealing with mortals. They always asked so many pointless questions. _Why can they not just accept things as they are_ he mused silently. Withdrawing into the darkness, he let them have some space.

Kim sat up again as her head began to clear. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked around slowly. Why was everything so dark? It wasn't that late in the evening was it? Just how long had she been out. Looking down at her watch she frowned. The digital display that should have been displaying the time had been replaced with a dark blue expanse. A dozen questions lept to her mind at that moment. "I'm all right now Ron, I just got dizzy for a moment. What time is it?" She pulled herself from Ron's grasp again and rocked forward onto her knees only to continue past the point she had wished to stop at coming face to face with the cool grass that covered the front lawn. _That wasn't supposed to happen_

Ron frowned slightly as he fought back the urge to help her up. Kim was a very independent woman and usually did not take kindly to people helping her with what should be simple tasks. _She is still adjusting to what happened_ a voice in the recesses of his mind informed him. "I uh...I don't know Kim. My watch fell off." It was a weak lie and he knew it. And if he knew it, then Kim did too. He clamped his hand over his mouth as he realized what he had just doomed his hopes of breaking the news to her gently. Mentally slapping himself, he looked at Kim only to find her looking back at him intently.

Slowly she pushed her body off the ground and rolled so that she was sitting looking up at him. "What's going on Ron? Whats wrong? Why are we outside?" Concern was plainly evident in her voice. Ron had never, nor would he ever, willingly hurt her in any way. Yet for some reason she had a very bad feeling about this. Too many things were not adding up in her mind. Fear gnawed at her as she looked into his chocolate brown eyes. His mouth was working but no sound was coming out. His words didn't unsettle her as much as the way he was acting after he said them. It scared her. A mind born from a brain surgeon and a rocket scientist kicked into overdrive as she evaluated the situation. Klaxon alarms began to go off in her head. Something was very wrong here but she couldn't nail it down.

Thoughts crashed around in his head. What should he say? What could he say? How do you tell someone that they are dead? That existence as they know it is over? Trying to pacify Kim by passing his slip of the tongue off as status quo for him never entered his thought process. She needed to know the truth. He could almost see her mind working as he looked into her green eyes. It wouldn't be long before she came to a conclusion. He had to head her off before her thought process got going too far. He committed himself to the destroying of Kim's perspective on life when he saw Azrael step from the shadows. Before he could begin to wonder what the angel had in mind, he knew that his time to break the news to Kim gently had come and gone. The Reaper was taking matters into his own hands.

"What Ronald has been trying, and failing, to tell you is that you are no longer part of world as you know it. You are dead." Azrael's deep voice shattered the silence between the two young adults.

Ron winced slightly at Azrael's words. Surely he could have come up with a better way to tell her that! _So much for handling this in a calm and rational manner_ the voice in his head quipped.

Kim whirled around, leaping to her feet at the sound of the Reapers voice. Moments passed slowly as her brain tried to process what her eyes were seeing. A being that, up until now, she had thought only existed in stories and peoples imagination was standing before her telling her something that was absurd. She looked to Ron for support, her anchor in emotionally troubled times. The unmovable rock that helped her keep perspective. Her eyes pleaded with him to say that it was not true, that this was a bad dream that she would wake up from any time now.

Her composure cracked when his head dropped and a tear rolled down his cheek. Shadows began to recede as Azrael lifted the darkness that he had let claim the scene. Deep green eyes were drawn from Ron and looked around as the sky slowly became brighter stopping on the house and the truck that was embedded in her bedroom. Whatever small measure of control she had managed to regain slipped away. Fear crept up her spine as her brain was urging her to take action. Her body had other plans however, she began to hyperventilate.

_And cue the freak out._

Biting back on his own emotions, Ron stood and moved to her side. Pulling his distraught friend into a tight embrace he tried to pacify her before she went into full freak out mode. "I'm sorry Kim." What else could he say right now. Words failed him as her body was wracked with sobs. Acceptance that things were beyond her control did not come easy to Kim. "You have no idea how sorry I am" he managed to choke out as his own emotions rose to the breaking point. The voice that issued from his mouth did not sound like his own.

How long they stood there neither of them knew. Ron did not want to hurt the woman he had known all his life, the woman he loved. There was no help for it though. He would rather hurt her with the truth then mislead her with lies. Arms tightened around her as she her body began to tremble again. He stroked her hair slowly not knowing what else to do. His own emotional surge began to wane as her trembling subsided.

"I don't want to go Ron" Kim sobbed into his chest. "I don't want to go!" Logic was all but gone from her thoughts. This couldn't be happening to her, not now, not like this. Quotes of Dylan Thomas echoed in her ears.

"I know Kim. I don't want to either but the choice is not ours to make any more. We are already gone" he replied dejectedly. It hurt to admit that, even to himself. He did not dare let his embrace slack. His own demons had been laid to rest long ago. he fully accepted the position he was in while Kim had not. Acceptance for her was a long way off.

Unnerved was a mild way of putting what Kim was feeling at that moment. Ron's calm acceptance of the situation was comforting in a certain aspect, and cause for fear as well. What did he know that she did not? She tried to deny what had happened but evidence to the contrary was all around her. Her knees went weak and she slowly slid to the ground beside her best friend as her mind reeled from Ron's words. _How can I be dead? I don't feel dead_ She couldn't help but laugh at her thoughts. Just how was a dead person supposed to feel?

"Death is hard enough to accept when you are on the outside looking in. When you are the one face to face with the Reaper it is even harder." Ron was pensive as he stared off into the distance. He had to tread carefully now. Kim freaking out again would not help matters.

Kim chewed on her lower lip while she digested his words. "When did you get so smart Ron?" The words were out of her mouth before she realized it. That had totally come out wrong.

Several long moments passed in silence as Ron contemplated his response. He was going to have to broach the subject of his history with Azrael sooner or later. [Might as well get it over with] his conscience chimed in. "I have a unique point of view on death and dying Kim" he replied tentatively. "This is not my first time visiting this realm..." He looked at her gauging her reaction before continuing. Confusion masked her face and she seemed about to say something but Ron headed her off. "I died for the first time about five years ago. A roof support hit me when we blew up one of Drakkens lairs in Nepal. You were chasing Shego in another part of the town when it happened." He paused again clenching his eyes shut as the memories of that night came back to him vividly.

_The first time?_ Kim stared at him in shock.

"Azrael came for me then, but he could not collect my soul. My soul already belonged to another. Because of that, it could not be claimed by him. I was allowed to return to the mortal realm until such a time as my soul would be up for grabs so to speak." Pain was evident in his voice as he uttered these words. Shoulders slumped as his stared at the ground again. He could not bear to see the sadness in her eyes right now. "That time is now, my soul is his" he finished quietly.

Kim's mind reeled at his words. What did he mean his soul already belonged to another? It didn't make sense "Who did your soul belong to" she managed to squeak out after a moment.

Time stood still for Ron as his mind ran through scenarios depicting Kim's reaction to his secret. The event he had been dreading for years was finally at hand and he had no clue how to proceed. Options sprang to mind and were dismissed just as quickly. Words his grandfather had spoken to him many years ago came to him suddenly. His grandfathers philosophy on life in general. Four simple letters. K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid. The best approach with Kim was the direct one. Sighing heavily, he committed himself to fate. "My soul belongs to you, it has for the past ten years." He halted to gather his thoughts. "Ever since we started taking on missions beyond rescuing cats from trees and helping out with fund-raisers actually."

"You can't be serious Ron" she scoffed at his statement. _This is absurd!_

Ron looked at her then determination marking his features. "Note serious face KP" he replied firmly.

Confusion reigned supreme in Kim's brain at that moment. _OK so he is serious_ "Care to explain that one for me Ron" she spoke warily. This was beyond awk-weird in her opinion. Ron had better start making sense. How could someone just give their soul to another?

"When we first started on more dangerous missions, you father took me aside one night after dinner and asked me for a favor. He knew that trying to talk you out of helping people would not be worth the fight it would have taken to get you to agree. So he asked me to do my best to protect you and make sure that you came home safe. I agreed." Ron swallowed hard trying to come up with the best way to explain the next part. "Later that night, after I had gone home, I kept thinking about what your father had asked of me. You were my best friend Kim, my only friend at that time actually, and the thought of anything bad happening to you scared me more then I care to admit. I made a vow that night to anyone who was listening. I vowed that I would do everything within my power to protect you, even if it cost me my life. I have renewed that vow every night since then."

He had that vow memorized, burned into his memory from having recited it so many times. Many times he had caught himself reaffirming it during a mission. "I didn't know that the powers that be were listening to me when I said that. I didn't know that they ever listened to me. For some reason beyond my understanding, they took my words to heart and bound my soul to yours. As long as you were alive, I would be with you. I found out about it during the mission in Nepal when I met Azrael." He looked up then, seeking Kim's eyes. He needed her to understand.

Kim was staring at Ron is disbelief. She had no idea that such a thing was even possible. The sheer mechanics of it were mind boggling. "Why didn't you tell me Ron? How could you keep something like from me for all these years?"

Sitting down on what remained of the rock wall, Ron rested his elbows on his knees and stared at the ground. He couldn't bare to look into her large doleful eyes at this moment. "Would you have believed me Kim? Could you have believed me?" Fidgeting slightly he raised his head looking off into the distance. "How would you have reacted if one day I told you that I had died, met the Grim Reaper and come back from the land of the dead with my soul intact?" He turned now and forced himself to look at her. Sorrow and confusion was reflected in her eyes and he felt guilt drive into his core. [I should have told her] Telling her this now, after we are in this position does not make it any easier to handle. He was already in this far, there was no turning back now. "What would you have said if I told you the reason that I came back was because my soul belonged to you and that no other being, mortal or otherwise, could stake a claim to it because of that?"

"How can you be all right with that Ron? Its not right, Its not fair" Kim stated firmly as tears started to leak from her eyes. "I don't deserve that, no one does!"

"That may be KP, but it was my choice to make and I stand by that decision now" he replied quietly. "I did not want to imagine a world without you in it, much less try to live in that world." He became fascinated with a pebble on the ground for a moment. "It may seem selfish, but I would do it again given the chance." He looked up at her suddenly. "You are my world Kim, you always have been" he added with conviction.

Kim sat and stared at him unblinking as she processed what he had said. In the past half an hour the world as she knew it had been flipped upside down, pulled inside out and for good measure, everything black had become white. She was struggling to organize her thoughts into some semblance of sanity. To have someone like Ron present something insane to her as a truth threw her entire psyche for a loop. The theory seemed so foreign to her. That Ron loved her was no great mystery, but devotion on the level that he was displaying was unheard of and very hard for her grasp.

She understood why Ron had come back when he died the first time, and all the times after that. The puzzle was coming together slowly. One piece of that puzzle was missing though. Why was Ron here if she was the one who died? She voiced her question to him without looking up, she didn't want to hear his answer but she had to know for sure.

The blonde looked sheepish as he scanned the sky. [And so the other shoe drops] his conscience butted in. Ron turned to look at Azrael. "Care to take this one? It sounds so much cooler when you say it." He instantly regretted his proposal. Azrael was a very matter of fact being, breaking news to someone gently or trying to make things easier to take was not one of his strong points. He laid his head in his hands and waited for it.

Azrael looked up from his own musings to find the redhead looking at him intently. He ignored her look and relayed the information that the whelp did not have to courage to say. "As you and Ronald are tied together in life, you are also bound to each other in death. Where you go, he must follow. As long as you lived Kimberly, he would as well despite what may happen to him. The second that your heart failed to beat, his followed suit."

"That's one way of putting it" Ron croaked mentally slapping himself a second time.

Azrael smirked. A small gesture to make Ronald's life more difficult was not wasted in his mind. It was a cheap shot but cheap shots still counted. _One point to me_

Kim was beside herself after hearing Azrael's words. She tried to wrap her mind around it but was failing miserably. A single question dominated her thoughts. Why would he do that? Green eyes sought his brown ones pleading for answers. The response she got from him did little to comfort her.

Ron simply shrugged as she looked at him. "As I said KP, you are my world." With that he stood and walked slowly towards the remains of the house leaving Kim to her thoughts. He did not really expect her to understand his reasoning on this. He wasn't sure he understood it himself. What he did was selfish to a certain extent. Who in their right mind pledges their soul to another? _No one ever said that you are in your right mind_ Ron shook his head to silence his conscience. It didn't matter in the grand scheme of things in any case, whats done is done.

Questions and concerns came and went like waves in an ocean in Kim's mind as she looked at her best friend. He was disturbed by all of this, that much was clear. She had a nagging feeling that a large part of his distress was her doing. It was far from intentional but the effect was the same. She wanted to understand Ron, to believe everything that he was saying, but it was so far out in left field as to be inconceivable. Ron would never lie to her though, so what he said must me true. Given that, then her being dead must also be true. Growling with frustration she buried her head in her hands. Being dead was even harder to grasp then Ron's soul being bound to her's. No matter how she looked at it there was cause for her to remain dubious. As far as she was concerned all of this could still be a bad dream, albeit a very skewed and warped one. She needed proof that went beyond mere words.

Pulling her head from her hands, she rose and looked at Azrael. Just looking at him caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. She felt like a small child in his presence. Steeling her resolve, she approached him slowly.

Sensing her approach, Azrael turned to face his charge. This game had been going on long enough and he had grown tired of the useless prattling.

"I want to see my body" Kim spoke with as much determination as she could muster, her eyes scanning Azrael's face.

Azrael remained stoic as she looked at him. Her request, while not unusual, was ill advised Humans had great difficulty accepting death whether it be their own or a loved ones. They always wanted proof that they were indeed dead. Seeing their own corpse did little more then push them to further hysterics. Particularly when the person had expired as Kimberly had. "Why are you telling me?" Azrael replied cooly. "Knock yourself out. You don't need my permission."

"This is not a road you want to go down KP" Ron responded softly. He knew what Azrael was thinking, his own thoughts mirrored much of the same. Kim was fragile enough as it was, seeing her body in the middle of the wreckage could very well send her over the edge. "Please Kim, trust me on this. This is not something you want to do."

Kim's gaze shifted to her life long friend. "It's not that I want to Ron, I need to. I need to see it for myself."

[No good can come from this] "There is no way to talk you out of this then KP" Ron pleaded from his position on the wall, though he was already certain of her response.

Kim shook her head. "You can come with me if you want to Ron. Either way I'm going" Without waiting for his response she turned and started for the house.

Sighing in resignation, Ron levered himself off the wall and started after her. Someone was going to have to carry her out of there.

Ron hurried to catch up to Kim as she stalked her way across the yard. Silently he fell into step beside her as they wound their way through the debris field that decorated the yard in front of the house. No words were spoken between them as they entered the remains of what had once been their home. Various items that had once been carefully arranged on shelves and tables were now scattered around room as a result of the truck impacting the structure. Clouds of dust hung over the entire room like a shroud. Bits of plaster and wood were frozen in mid-air thanks to Azrael. He was so absorbed in his appraisal of the aftermath that he almost ran into Kim when she stopped suddenly. Glancing at her, he saw that she was staring at something just beyond his field of vision. Peering around the corner his breath caught in his throat at the sight of the scene before him.

What remained of the front of the truck dominated what used to be Kim's bedroom. Wedged between the trucks bumper and a large bookcase, a shock of flame red hair was visible. Instinctively Ron moved to Kim and wrapped his arms around her bracing himself for the worse. Without a word Kim's arms snaked around his frame and clutched him tightly as her face disappeared into his shoulder.

Countless minutes passed as Kim let herself go and simply cried into Ron. Her perception of the universe as she knew it had been utterly shattered the moment she saw her hair in the wreckage. Every sensibility she possessed was overrun in an instant when the truth came crashing down upon her. It was true. What Ron and Azrael had told her was true. She was really dead. After all of the extraordinary events and catastrophes Ron and her had survived, her life had come to an end in as mundane a way as possible. The reality of it all overwhelmed her capacity to handle the situation. Against her best efforts to stop them, the tears continued to fall.

Ron subconsciously stroked Kim's red tresses as his shirt slowly became increasingly damp. Silently he was waging his own war with himself. He hated knowing that Kim was hurting. Just seeing her in pain ways always difficult for him. This time he could feel it flowing through him like a tempest. He didn't know exactly how this was possible but the debilitating effects were washing over him in just the same. His conscious mind became lost in a fog as the lines between his and Kim's psyches began to blur.

* * *

Azrael could not help but smile as he observed the events going on inside the house. Some would call what he had done to his charges an unforgivable act considering who they were. Opening the windows of the charges soul was normally reserved only for preparing an evil soul for the journey across the river and what lay beyond the gates of the underworld. That soul would feel every pain that it had ever inflicted upon another and have it visited back upon them ten fold for eternity. when used upon a clean soul, and more specificly two clean souls at the same time, those souls would meld together and become bound together for eternity in the hereafter.

He had been surprised when he observed the two of them together. To anyone who watched the two of them together for any length of time, it was obvious that they were made for each other. Opening their souls to each other in their current situation would be extremely taxing almost to the point of being hazardous. An ill prepared soul moving into the hereafter would become trapped in purgatory. Soulmates were spared from that danger however, their path in the afterlife was secure. And if ever there were a pair of souls that were destined to be together, it was Kimberly Anne Possible and Ronald Dean Stoppable.

His timing probably could have been a bit better though. Springing this on them right now with their current emotional states would still be difficult for each of them. He had not known they had not confessed their mutual feelings for each other yet. Had they done so already, the soul mate bond would have had time to mature gradually and come to full fruition in a less invasive manner. As it was, the process had to be sped up dramatically to prepare them for entering the immortal realm. Subjecting Kimberly to that was a small price to pay in his mind for getting a bit of payback on Ronald for all the frustration he had caused him. He would catch hell for it to be sure, both from Ronald and the higher immortals, but it was still worth it.

Gradually the tendrils of the emotional tumult released their hold over the young souls huddled on the floor. The mating of their souls had gone exactly as it should have aside from a few unique and interesting repercussions due to the inherent strength of the individuals involved. Where two separate and distinct souls once stood, one brilliant soul rose from the ashes and cast it's light so that all those with the right kind of eyes to see it. They were a single spiritual entity now though their outward appearances differed. Each shared and drew from the others strengths, pains and faults. Soulmates in the truest definition of the term.

The smile Azrael wore grew wider as he was forced to shield his eyes from the piercing violet light bursting from the confines of the shattered dwelling Kimberly and Ronald occupied. It was truly a beautiful sight to behold. Five years ago he would have never believed that his first encounter with Ronald could have led to this moment, the whelp never ceased to amaze him.

* * *

Ron forcibly cracked his eyes open as the fog started to dissipate As his mind returned to full consciousness his eyelids slid open further and he took in his surroundings. They were still in Kim's bedroom as far as he could tell, Kim was still in his arms but they were huddled together on the floor now. Needles of pain radiated over his body when he tried to move. _What the hell just happened_ He yelped in surprise as a faint echo of Kim's voice sounded in his head in response to his unvoiced question. Looking down he saw that Kim was awake as well and was looking at him in unabashed confusion. Had she heard the same voice? Had she heard his voice?

_Ron_?

Ron jumped again as Kim's voice broke through. That answered that question. _KP? Is that you?_ he answered back cautiously. Something very strange was going on here. Was it really her in his head?

_What the hell is going on Ron?_ Kim's concerns over this new development mirrored Ron's, this was way off the edge of the map even for them. She could see the fear and uncertainty in his eyes and was sure that hers showed much of the same. With everything that had happened that day, it was only with great effort was she able to maintain a grip on her sanity. How much more could she be expected to withstand?

"I don't know KP, this is kind of a first for me" Talking telepathic with Kim, while being badical to say the least, was a little too awk-weird. Carefully he tested his limbs again and found that he could move them without the pain he felt earlier. He stood gingerly and helped Kim to her feet. "Are you all right?"

Kim stumbled a bit trying to regain her equilibrium. "I think so, I just need a minute." Whatever just happened to them had left her more then a little off kilter. Every nerve ending seemed hypersensitive. The cotton shirt she wore felt like sandpaper against her skin. After a few moments the feelings subsided and she put the matter out of her mind. There would be time enough to sort it out later. Looking around the room, her gaze stopped once again on area immediately in front of the truck.

She felt the pang of remorse rise up in her chest and a single tear escaped as she took in the sight of her body. It was really over. Her life along with everything she had ever known was gone now, Ron was only thing she had left. Thoughts of him were bittersweet in light of recent events. He was the best friend she had ever had. He had stood by her, supported and defended her for years while she trotted all over the globe to stop those who would subvert it for their own means. Even when it would have been easier to just walk away and go on about his life, he had stayed by her side. Now he was sharing her fate because of that devotion to her. It wasn't fair.

Ron watched his friend with misty eyes as she berated herself for what had befallen him. He could feel her pain and sorrow and it hollowed him. It had been his choice to make and he still stood by that choice even now, there was no where else he wanted to be. Moving toward her, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulders in a vain attempt to console her.

She stiffened briefly at his touch before submitting to its warmth. Laying her cheek on his hand she breathed in his scent, a slight smile gracing her features. Despite the circumstances, she was glad to have him here with her.

"We need to go Kim, there isn't anything else we can do here." Squeezing her shoulder slightly, he guided her towards the doorway. They could only prolong the inevitable for so long before Azrael came in after them. Realization seeped into his mind the instant he thought of the angel. He had done this, it was the only logical explanation for whatever had just happened to them.

Indignation welled up inside him and they moved through the house. Ron glared at Azrael as he exited the house with Kim. Unwaveringly he walked up to the Reaper. "You did that didn't you?" he stated accusingly.

Azrael managed to keep his urge to chuckle subdued settling for a slight smirk as he met his charges glare.

"Your an asshole," Ron replied cooly before turning and going to Kim who had taken the seat on the rockfall that Ron had occupied earlier.

Kim looked at Ron before turning to glare at the Reaper. "What exactly did you do." Kim demanded before the Reaper could reply.

Looking at the redhead, the smirk he had reserved for Ronald melted into a genuine smile. "I bound your soul to Ronald's"

"Wait a minute. I thought we were already bound to each other. Isn't that why Ron is here now? Isn't that why you couldn't claim him until after I died?" Kim was confused and that was not a comfortable place for her to be.

"Yes and no. Even though he was bound to you, you were not bound to him in return. That is why I had to wait until your thread was severed before I could claim him. When you died, that bond dissolved and Ronald's soul became free again."

"Your gonna have to explain that one for me"

Azrael sighed while he rubbed at his temples. Trying to put this into layman's terms was more difficult then he had anticipated. "There is a difference between mortal souls and immortal ones, when a mortal soul dies it comes to this plane in preparation for evolving into an immortal soul. Just because your mortal souls were bound together does not mean that you immortal souls are bound as well. The bonding that had been done previously by Ronald was grounded in the mortal realm since both of you were alive when the bond was formed. While you lived, he lived. When your time ended, so did his. In the afterlife that bonding would fade as your mortal soul transitioned into an immortal one and there would be a very real possibility of the two of you being separated for eternity.

When a soul mate bond is formed, both the mortal and immortal souls are bound together. Since the two of you had not yet consecrated the bonding of your souls while you were alive, it had to be done now before the transition from mortal to immortal is completed. Unfortunately when that process is performed in this realm, it must be accelerated greatly and as such causes a certain level of discomfort."

"That's a bit of an understatement" Ron groused while he thought over what Azrael had just said. It made sense, the parts he could understand anyway. But there were still things that had been left unexplained. "What about me hearing Kim's voice in my head?"

"A temporary after effect of the linking. It will fade soon." Azrael replied dismissively. "And I do apologize for what I had to subject you to, but it had to be done if you wanted to stay together."

"Mortal and immortal souls aside, what happens now Azrael? Do we go to heaven, or somewhere else?" Kim added the last part with apprehension. Heaven she could handle, she didn't even want to think about going somewhere else. Large eyes looked up hopefully at the angel as she clung to Ron, fearful of the answer.

Azrael returned her gaze as impassive as ever. He was glad this was finally drawing to a close. "As I informed Ronald earlier, you and he seem to the the exception to a great many rules. The creator has requested that you be given a choice as to your fates. You may come with me to the immortal realm to spend your eternity, or your may stay here as transient spirits"

Kim nodded in understanding as she thought over the offer. It seemed strange to be given a choice in such a matter. What the Reaper had told them seemed to contradict everything she had ever been taught in church. A souls path path was supposed to be determined by a persons actions and decisions during their life. Or at least that is what she had thought. "Before we make our decision, why are we being allowed to choose where we go? Isn't a persons path supposed to be decided one way or the other when they are brought before the gates?"

A slight smile crossed over Azraels face at her words. She was much easier to deal with then the whelp and seemed exceeding aware for someone her age. "Under normal circumstances, with normal souls, that would indeed be the case. However, you and Ronald are in a unique position due to the life the two of you have lived. For almost a decade the two of you have defended humanity against those who would destroy and twist it for their own purposes. That you did this out of your own free will and never accepted payment for your actions speaks very highly of your character. You did what needed to be done, selflessly and without hesitation."

He stopped his speech and looked back and forth between his charges. Kimberly's face was the color of her hair as she tried to look anywhere but him. Apparently she was not accustomed to such compliments. Yet another sign that the creator had been correct in his assessment of her. She was humble despite her accomplishments. Ronald looked almost meek compared to his partner. Azrael was well aware of how he always seemed to be in the shadows behind Kimberly. It was clearly evident in his mannerisms when he was around her. As long as Kimberly was happy, he was happy. When she was sad, he was there to comfort her. Always supportive no matter the cost to himself. The Reaper smiled in spite of himself, he had to respect the whelp for that. Few people could understand that kind of dedication much less display it.

"It is because of this that you are being given a choice. Both of your places in the hereafter are assured. That you have a choice in where you go is a privilege that few of your world are granted." Pausing again, he reached into his robes and pulled out a smooth round stone. He had a feeling what their collective response was going to be. "So..With that said, what is your answer?"

Kim looked at Ron who returned her gaze with a slight shrug. "I cannot speak for Ron, but I would prefer to stay here...at least for a while. I need to say goodbye to my fam..." Biting back on her emotions she forced herself to continue. "I need to say goodbye to my family. I at least want to be there with them when they bury me." Those words seemed so alien coming from her mouth.

Ron rose and moved beside Kim. "Ditto to what she said"

Azrael could not help but laugh. "Somehow I knew that would be your decision." With a slight smile he handed the stone to Kim who stared at it curiously before shifting her eyes back to him. "Very well then, to come to the immortal realm both of you must take hold of this stone and say _Beam me up_." Azrael regarded the couple before him and his mouth split into a wide smile. The look on their faces was well worth the aggravation they had put him through. "What? Who says that I can not have a sense of humor" He laughed again and faded from sight.

Kim and Ron stared after the Reaper with their mouths agape. Ron was the first one to break the silence that followed Azraels disappearing act. "That was weird."


End file.
